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Best of Toronto

The Best Bubble Tea in Toronto

Posted by Jennifer Tse / September 20, 2010

Bubble Tea TorontoThe best bubble tea in Toronto is a sweet, satisfying marriage of refreshing drink and light snack, at once quenching thirst and sating the urge to chew something. Most know it as a tea-based beverage mixed with fruit or fruity syrups and sometimes milk, combined with toothsome tapioca pearls. Whether served in a tall glass or a plastic cup, both the liquid and tapioca are enjoyed through an extra-wide plastic straw.

What few know is that the most authentic definition of bubble tea does not necessarily include tapioca. The "bubble" of bubble tea actually refers to the foam that forms at the top of the drink after the tea and flavourings are shaken together, and not the tapioca pearls themselves. Most vendors in the GTA are aware of this common misconception and will hand you a drink that includes tapioca "bubbles" when you order a bubble tea -- otherwise, there's usually an option to add tapioca for a few cents extra.

The tapioca pearls may be startling at first -- I've had friends recoil after a first taste, finding the texture too slimy or the act of chewing while drinking too strange. On the other hand, many find the combination instantly addictive. Luckily for such fans (like myself), bubble tea in Toronto is widely available. Many of the listed locations are chains spanning the downtown core as well as north of Steeles.

Here is the best bubble tea in Toronto as voted by readers of this site.

Tea Shop 168

Tea Shop 168

This multi-national franchise is the largest bubble tea chain in Canada. Some locations will offer Taiwanese delicacies in addition to bubble tea. Look for locations in the Chinatown area downtown, or the indoor bubble tea paradise that is Pacific Mall in Markham. More »

Bubble Tease

Bubble Tease

Another popular bubble tea chain, Bubble Tease stores serve up drinks under several different categories - Milky Bubbles, Bubble Teases, Hotties, Special Tease, Bubble Chillin', and Fresh n' Fruity Flavours. The location at Bloor and Spadina has window seats with a good view of the street, but it isn't hard to find locations elsewhere. More »

Ten Ren's

Ten Ren's

The Ten Ren's company is truly passionate about the art of tea and ginseng. Order a skillfully crafted bubble tea as you explore a selection of pu-erh, white, green, black, and herbal teas. Find one of their locations at Dundas and Huron. More »

Real Fruit

Real Fruit

When I order a rose-flavoured bubble tea from Real Fruit, I receive a little something extra - a fragrant cluster of pink rosebuds floating atop my drink. Visit a Real Fruit location and expect the usual bubbly deliciousness as well as a host of sweet surprises (including, of course, real fruit bubble tea). More »

Go For Tea

Go For Tea

Located just south of Steeles on Midland, this teahouse definitely makes bubble tea a classier, sit-down-restaurant affair. Want a main dish of lamb with cumin to go with your bubble tea? How about a snack of grilled squid, or some satay pork noodles in soup? Go For Tea offers a huge menu with a variety of Asian meals and snacks as well as a big selection of bubble tea. Bubble tea is $3.50 at the minimum, and tapioca is an extra 50 cents. More »

Green Gene

Green Gene

If you're not looking for it carefully, you might walk right past this tiny Bay and Dundas bubble tea store. That would be a shame, since their service is fast and friendly and their beverages delectable (yum, yum, milky banana!). Try their papaya, passion fruit, and cappuccino flavours as well. More »

Fruit Jungle

Fruit Jungle

You'll find Fruit Jungle in one place only - First Markham Place shopping centre at Woodbine and Highway 7. For those living downtown, it might be a bit far, but their unique, honest take on the bubble tea experience makes it worth the hike. They swear by three golden rules. No powder flavours or syrups, but real fresh juice. No ice cubes, but chilled drinks. And perfectly cooked tapioca pearls every time. Their flavours are something different as well. Try a juice blend of green and red grapes, blended asian pear, or a mango and watermelon juice bubble tea. More »

E Tea

E Tea

Chinatown's E Tea (on Dundas) is bubble tea in a modern, relaxed setting. Order in and your bubble tea comes in a tall glass. A veritable rainbow of fruit flavour powders can be seen behind the counter by the door, but their drinks taste impressively realistic and not overly artificial. Try their guava and honeydew flavours. More »

Destiny Tea Cafe

Destiny Tea Cafe

Destiny Tea Cafe is a huge, relaxed environment, perfect for long conversations over a few sweet drinks. Take your friends here if you're looking for a spacious, comfy teahouse that serves up a variety of Asian snacks and desserts. You'll find their locations at Highway 7 and West Beaver Creek in Thornhill, and on Silver Star Boulevard in Scarborough. More »

Trung Tam Giai Khat

Trung Tam Giai Khat

This Dundas and Huron establishment is always buzzing, and for good reason. At $2.50 for a small bubble tea, it beats much of the competition on price without sacrificing quality. The pearls are plentiful and the tea is tasty. Trung Tam Giai Khat also offers milkshakes, smoothies, and special iced coffee. More unusual bubble tea flavours include sesame, jackfruit, durian, and avocado. More »

Tasty House

Tasty House

Tasty House not only specializes in bubble tea, but also savoury and sweet crepes, fruit slushies, and milkshakes. Some of the more unique bubble tea flavours they list include Japanese style burnt coffee, black prune, wheat, and peanut, among the more classic fruit varieties. More »

Bubble Bubble

Bubble Bubble

This North York bubble tea hotspot offers promotions such as movie ticket deals with the purchase of bubble teas. What could be sweeter? In addition to bubble tea, you can also order up vegetable juices, espressos, and traditional herb and fruit teas. More »

Discussion

47 Comments

Shawn / September 20, 2010 at 10:47 am
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I liked e-Tea better when they were called tea shop 168. Now, the place looks more upscale but it was more of a fun place to hang out with the TVs that used to be there.
Rachel / September 20, 2010 at 11:14 am
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My faaaaaavourite place is on the east side of Spadina, just north of Dundas. I have no idea what it's called but it's covered in lights and they have a sugarcane juicing machine. Sugarcane juice + bubbles = glorious marshmallowy-tasting goodness.

Watermelon juice with bubbles from 168 is my other favourite choice. Yum!
Shawn replying to a comment from Rachel / September 20, 2010 at 12:06 pm
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The one next to the bank? They seem to be putting more ice in there than normal (and charge for no ice).
Regina / September 20, 2010 at 12:31 pm
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Are you kidding me? TenRen is the only one capable of making truly HK bubble tea. Upscale looking or not, 168 is a place for teens yet plays music that even teens hate (see: Paris Hilton's CD on repeat).
snowjuice / September 20, 2010 at 12:47 pm
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168 is by far the WORST. They make their so-called tea from flavour powders and it has no authenticity that's anything closed to the culture of drinking tea.

TenRen is the only editable option on this list.
Bryan / September 20, 2010 at 01:23 pm
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There are Fruit Jungle shops in Pacific Mall and in another plaza at Glen Watford and Sheppard, in Scarborough. They all feature the same good tapioca drinks made with real fruits.
Greg / September 20, 2010 at 01:57 pm
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This is BlogTO, not BlogGTA.

Until Toronto eats Markham for breakfast, it should not be included.
L replying to a comment from Regina / September 20, 2010 at 02:46 pm
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Good to know! I have only experienced the "made from powder" versions of Bubble Tea, and though I do guiltily enjoy them, I have always wondered if anyone makes it from real juices and/or coconut milk, etc. I will try out TenRen.
Park Choi Yoon Kim / September 20, 2010 at 03:21 pm
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168 is vile, but it's #1 because that's all the readers know, so they check it off. Ten Ren and Go For Tea are the only two passable ones on this list.
Ola / September 20, 2010 at 03:36 pm
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FINALLY! Thanks so much for posting a Tdot guide to Bubble Tea, Jennifer Tse!
Joey Connick / September 20, 2010 at 03:37 pm
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Bubble Tease is exceptionally overprice with mediocre product at best. Destiny should be much higher rated.
Ivan / September 20, 2010 at 03:46 pm
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Fruit Jungle has a "Toronto" location as well on the south side of Steeles at Kennedy. The other two are Pacific Mall and First Markham Place.
Mike W replying to a comment from Greg / September 20, 2010 at 04:27 pm
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You're looking for BlogDowntownToronto.
Regina / September 20, 2010 at 04:48 pm
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List is called "Bubble Tea in Toronto." It doesn't say "Bubble Tea if you take a car and drive for an hour outside of central Toronto".

The fact that you have to click "zoom out" several times on the map is telling.
secyw / September 20, 2010 at 05:19 pm
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My favourite is the Ten Rens on Highway 7 and Leslie area. The tea is rich! Second favourite would be the speciality drinks from Destiny's at Highway 7 and 404 area. If you want to get original Bubble Tea (plain flavour), Tasty House is really good as they don't use the milk powder like other places. I find 168 drinks too sweet; although the price is cheap.
Greg replying to a comment from Mike W / September 20, 2010 at 06:23 pm
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Survey says... Joke fail. Markham>out of Toronto. Scarborough>inside Toronto.
Joey replying to a comment from Mike W / September 20, 2010 at 08:56 pm
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There's nothing wrong with someone expecting a blog about Toronto to only featuring places that are in Toronto. I don't know why the author thought that a "Best of Toronto" list should contain places that aren't in Toronto, but it's there anyway.

I can't wait to see next week's Best Pancakes in Toronto list, which will include places located in Seattle, Rio de Janeiro and Baghdad.
baboon / September 20, 2010 at 09:08 pm
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I'm not always impressed with Bubble Tease, and there was more than one occassion at Tea Shop 168 where the tapioca was too hard..
Jennifer Tse / September 20, 2010 at 09:48 pm
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Hi readers!

First of all, I'd like to clarify that these locations were all nominated by readers like yourselves on this site, and voted as the best bubble tea locations in Toronto, as it says in the last sentence of the opening text.

As someone who has lived in Markham and commuted downtown for over 7 years, I can assure you that the trip is not all that bad (certainly not an hour by car unless you're going at a predictably bad time). It can take as few as 25 minutes on a weekend or a lazy hour, and I'd do it in a heartbeat for a fun afternoon of experiencing new food and drink with friends. Wouldn't you, on the occasion?

Also, if blogTO's readership agrees by vote that the majority of the best bubble tea accessible to Torontonians is north of Bloor or even Steeles, then is it not better to at least be informed of these places, as opposed to a watered-down list of less popular locations? Maybe it's not what a Toronto reader would immediately expect from a Toronto site, but we blogTO folk try to go above and beyond your expectations sometimes. :)

Ivan and Bryan, I'll make the correction about the other two Fruit Jungle locations, thanks.

And thanks all for your comments. Enjoy your bubble tea wherever you find it!
Shawn replying to a comment from Jennifer Tse / September 20, 2010 at 10:32 pm
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You guys should put a disclaimer at the top of every "best of" list just to avoid the dozens of comments bitching about how the editors of BlogTO have bad taste, didn't try place XYZ, etc.
Ryan L. / September 21, 2010 at 06:27 am
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I thought BlogTO didn't allow large chain stores on its lists and with them populating the top two spots, I find that kind of weird. I've had nominations rejected before because they had just 4 or 5 locations in the GTA. I think Tea Shop 168 has 4 or 5 locations in Pmall alone.
iloveshanghainesefood / September 21, 2010 at 08:02 am
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The Bubble Tease @ Bloor/Spadina is a travesty. I don't know what other chains are like though.
Ryan L. replying to a comment from iloveshanghainesefood / September 21, 2010 at 10:04 am
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I've never been to a Bubble Tease that I found consistent with their drinks. The one at the Eaton Centre never had Tapioca ready and when they did it was undercooked and dry in the middle. I've also seen bugs (I think roaches) crawling on the straws at the one at Bloor/Spadina. The employee noticed and didn't make any effort to even shoo the bugs away. I walked right out.
Jonathan / September 21, 2010 at 10:58 am
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I agree with others here. Ten Ren's should be higher on the list, seeing that it's actually TEA as opposed to powdered crap.

Also, Go4Tea really is a less popular gem. The one on highway 7 is fantastic.
Ryan L. / September 21, 2010 at 11:45 am
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BlogTO really needs to set some ground rules with nominations in regards to franchises and chains. Which are allowed, which aren't. Because right now it feels like the only criteria being if its mainstream then its not allowed which makes these lists seem rather pretentious.
Bubbles / September 21, 2010 at 07:19 pm
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I was excited about this list until I saw Tea 168 & Bubble Tease. C'mon, really?

Aside from Ten Ren's are they are GOOD recommendations downtown? If it tastes like powder, forget it!
Jamie / September 22, 2010 at 11:35 pm
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168 and Bubble Tease suck. Whoever voted for them should really try other places on the list like Destiny or even Ten Ren if they don't want to commute. Also, I got sick from Trung Tam Giai Khat... maybe it was a one-time random case. Just saying incase anyone else got it too.
meatgrinder / September 23, 2010 at 04:59 pm
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Ten Ren and Tubble Tease are great.

Stop being such indie pussholes
Tiffany / October 2, 2010 at 10:15 pm
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My personal favorite spot for bubble tea has to be Tao Tea Leaf on Yonge. The quality is great and the price is very reasonable.

My second favorite has to be either Ten Ren or Natural 9 (on Spadina Ave), but the bubble tea at Tao Tea Leaf has better flavours and tapioca. Apparently they soak the tapioca pearls in honey as well as fruit sugar, and you can really taste it.
Claudia / October 12, 2010 at 04:35 am
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Bubble tease sucks

I used to work there, the are no breaks during 8-10 hour shifts and the managers are cheap!
Putanginamo / October 13, 2010 at 01:47 pm
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Wow, Greg is on every comment section on this website. Does he have a life??? Wow Greg you must have an incredibly small penis. Bakla ka!
Dani / January 21, 2011 at 09:32 pm
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If you are a bubble tea fan, I highly recommend going to RioCan Yonge Eglinton Centre, go into the mall and there's a little stand called Yvonne Bakery. It's on the same floor as Indigo and right across from Booster Juice. The bubble tea at this little stand is refreshing, delicious, so mouth-watering and bursting with any flavour you pick.
Leo / February 12, 2011 at 05:45 pm
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teashop 168 and bubble tease are pretty shit, but then again this is probably rated in caucasian term. What do they know about bubble tea? psssh...please leave it to the asians to tell you whch asian bubble tea is the best.

and ten ren is taiwan btw.
Nelson / March 1, 2011 at 12:24 pm
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I used to think that Toronto had very good bubble tea considering our large Asian demographic but after traveling through Asia do I now realize how very sad the offerings we have here really are. I work at a TenRen's/Assameia and thought that we offered the best bubble tea in the business (as drilled into our heads by corporate propaganda). We are trained to tell customers that we used real tea and fruit in all of our drinks. While that may be somewhat true, I can tell you for a fact that these ingredients only make up about 2% of the actual drink =X Most of the actual drinks are comprised of nothing more than flavoured powder, powdered creamer and a lot of ice. If you actually watch them make your drink, you'll know I'm telling the truth. And our drinks were widely considered the best in Toronto! If you ever get a change to try the bubble tea places in Taiwan and HK, you'll never want another bubble tea in toronto. They actually taste like tea and not sugar water!

PS the fact that 168 is at the top of this list goes to show how uneducated in regards to real bubble tea we actually are. I have friends that work there and swear they would never drink any of the stuff that they make lol. At least at tenren, having a drink isnt so bad. I'll say that fruit jungle is the best in the GTA at this time though their popular items are their slushes which contain no tea, only ice cream and ice. When will someone offer some real bubble tea here in Toronto!
community / May 30, 2011 at 05:16 pm
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Does anyone know of a bubble tea mobile unit in Toronto.
what-TO-do / July 5, 2011 at 08:57 am
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"Aries Cafe" has many things to offer, not the least of which is their bubble tea: http://www.whattodotoronto.com/?view=browse&;cid=2&rid=108

I was at 'Destiny'! Was more than prepared to add it to our website.. but I really don't see what it's doing on this list. It's just a big place, with really old menus and not so great bubble tea. North Toronto has much better bubble tea to offer.
findbubbletea / July 18, 2011 at 08:05 pm
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How long do most bubble tea shops in TO last? Is there a quick turnover, or are they mostly settled establishments?
Vijaya / July 20, 2011 at 09:56 pm
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Green Grotto Tea Room at Warden/Steeles truly beats out Ten Ren's and Tea Shop 168 in my opinion. I have been to both on numerous occasions, and their tea is watered down.

Green Grotto's tea is incredibly well prepared, and rich in flavour, and floral bouquet. Also, they are very consistent in their preparation of tapioca, which is always the right texture.

Definitely check them out if you're ever in the area :)
TaipeiTessa / September 10, 2011 at 06:25 pm
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There's a new bubble tea shop in Toronto (i think it's the largest one in the world). Was walking along Dundas (west of Bay) yesterday and noticed a huge line up outside the store. Haven't had a chance to try out the drinks as I didn't have time to wait in line. Based on the lineup though it looks like Toronto has taken to this new brand quite readily. Anyone have a chance to try or is familiar with Chatime bubble tea??
materialisticJ / December 4, 2011 at 08:38 pm
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This list needs to be redone in the worst way. Hopefully this time some actual work and research will be put into the article. This list is pathetic and in no way reflects the opinion of the actual readers of this site. If you click on the links of the companies on this list, they are all 2 star joints or less.....if that is not evidence enough that this list is a sham then i don't know what is....
99bbts&ThisListAintOne / December 5, 2011 at 06:17 pm
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No comment on the selection of bubble tea joints posted on here since I didn't vote, but if I may, make a recommendation for a very, and I mean very small booth inside Splendid China Tower (you know, that ghost-town-like mall beside Pmall) that serves some amazing bubble tea. Owned by a Taiwanese couple, the bubble tea is as authentic as it can get. They actually owned one of the joints back in pmall years ago before the (imo, unnecessary) large amount of new bbt stores were there. Please check out this booth if you want to enjoy an amazing cup of bbt each time you go! It's sad how hidden and unknown it is, so I thought I'd share!
99bbts&ThisListAintOne / December 5, 2011 at 06:20 pm
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Blame the after-work-on-a-Monday syndrome that I forgot to post the name and spot within the mall. O. Cha Tea Shop is the name of the small gem and it's positioned to the right of the escalators on the second floor.
guildedone / December 8, 2011 at 11:42 pm
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To the person asking abou the nrw Chatime shop on dundas, tried it the other night and hae to say its my new favourite (sorry green grotto). "Cha" means "tea" in many different languages so the name is fairly clever especially for an international brand which they claim to be. You can customize your ice and sugar level here which is awesome! Best part is you can actually taste the tea in the bubble tea. Try their pearl milk tea or qq milk tea.
Guaranteed winner.
trendsetter / December 30, 2011 at 01:41 pm
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I'd have to agree that Chatime is now the best bubble tea shop in Toronto. You can actually taste the tea flavour in their milk teas which is a rarity in terms of bubble tea here (sad but true fact). This is the only place I've tried that serves anything close to authentic bubble tea. All the taiwanese that frequent this joint is proof enough for me that this place is the real deal.
Hassan / February 20, 2012 at 12:12 am
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I love Go For Tea, by far the best bubble tea I've been to in Toronto. I go there monthly for the atmosphere and the high quality bubble tea drinks. I highly recommend this place to anyone who loves bubble tea!
SaveHair / March 16, 2012 at 06:44 am
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John / March 20, 2012 at 04:00 am
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Where is One Hour Cafeteria? It serves the best bubble tea and ambience in downtown of Toronto.

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